Bowling

[Durhamfootman]

I think they would pick Robinson, Tongue, Archer, Stokes, Wood, Atkinson

I believe Tongue is out for most of the season if not all of it.

Archer is being looked at with a view to a test return next, I believe, but never say never

Wood will feature and when he doesn't, I guess Atkinson might

Robinson has some work to do yet, I'd imagine, after his winter travails, but would at least bring some experience

Potts is off the mark atm. Overton is out injured and won't be back soon. Mahmood is only just coming back and has has little success in his 2 matches back. Fisher is in and out of Yorks side. Worrall feels like a stretch. Stone could make it, but he'd have to be wrapped in cotton wool

I'd probably go, Stokes, Woakes, Cook, Wood plus a spinner (probably Leach) for the first test

[Durhamfootman]

Robinson for Woakes or Cook is possible, but Cook needs to play

[Arthur Crabtree]

Isn't SA born Brydon Carse in the picture? Or is he just white ball?

[Slipstream]

The selectors don't look at stats at all these days (Bashir) and with A1 selecting teams in the future it's pointless putting up stats but here they are

Cook 146.1 overs 28 wickets at 13.42
Worrall 141.2 overs 26 wickets at 13.57
Pennington 166.2 overs 21 wickets at 26.04
Potts 143.3 overs 11 wickets at 47.54
Atkinson 81.0 overs 10 wickets at 24.70
Stone 86.2 overs 8 wickets at 35.75
Stokes 38.0 overs 7 wickets at 24.14
Mahmood 46.0 overs 2 wickets at 86.50

Robinson 126.3 overs 15 wickets at 24.46
Fisher 97.0 overs 9 wickets at 37.33

Injured/coming back from injury - Archer, Tongue, J Overton
Elsewhere Woakes, Wood

[Durhamfootman]

I wouldn't have Carse in the test side. Harmy loves him... always banging on about him being the future and who knows, maybe Harmy is right, but atm he doesn't get into the Durham side for a lot of Durham fans

[Durhamfootman]

Archer is being looked at with a view to a test return next, I believe, but never say never

that makes no sense.... I do, of course, mean test return next year

[sussexpob]

that makes no sense.... I do, of course, mean test return next year

Archer is clearly being slated for a return in the T20 World Cup, Buttler said he would have played in the washed out game v Pakistan on Wednesday, so I assume he will be in the team today at Edgbaston.

Not sure what the ECB are doing with him. He went out to play for Sussex on their pre-season tour of India, and I think bowled 4 overs in a T20 game, then could only manage one spell of a few overs in the 2 x 3/4 day games we played against Karnataka before being subbed off. He then was pulled out of any participation for Sussex this season because apparently he wasn't ready to bowl blah blah, and yet he's fit enough to bowl for England???

Worth noting he played in Sussex's second XI game the other day and could only bowl 5-6 overs. So in the space a few months, he has played in 4 odd games and was capable of bowling only 20 overs.

And yet, England will no doubt be expecting 90mph plus rippers from him in a full international..... I guess by July his season will end with injury, and he will disappear again for 2 years.

[Slipstream]

Latest from Test hopefuls

Cook 152.1 overs 29 wickets at 13.62 (now injured)
Worrall 168.2 overs 28 wickets at 14.50
Snater 150.4 overs 25 wickets at 18.92
Pennington 176.3 overs 24 wickets at 23.83
Stokes 68.1 overs 15 wickets at 16.40
Potts 143.3 overs 11 wickets at 47.54 (also injured)
Atkinson 108.0 overs 11 wickets at 32.00
Stone 86.2 overs 8 wickets at 35.75
Mahmood 46.0 overs 2 wickets at 86.50

Robinson 156.3 overs 16 wickets at 27.75
Fisher 97.0 overs 9 wickets at 37.33

From this lot you would pick Pennington, Worrall, Snater and Stokes. (Worrall not qualified until next year, by then Cook will be fit and Archer will be also playing)

[Durhamfootman]

is Snater not Dutch?

[sussexpob]

is Snater not Dutch?

He has been capped by Netherlands, yes.

Not sure of the current rules relating to this in play at the ICC. In the past, a player eligible to play for a nation based on any criteria, could transfer from an associate nation to full member without any restrictions or additional qualification period. Eoin Morgan for instance went from Ireland straight to England on that rule.

The ICC also gave T20 or ODI full member status to a lot of the top associate nations, so I am not sure even if that rule applies anymore, specifically how it works. Would a player playing for Netherlands in a T20 count as having played for a full member or associate member? I have no clue... because Netherlands are weirdly both.

Worrall is also an Aussie.... I dont want to pick any Aussie cast offs.

[Slipstream]

Was listening to the Hussain/Atherton/Broad podcast. Seems like Key/McCullum/Stokes said to Anderson this summer is your last as we want to look at bowlers for the Ashes and you will be old at 43. So he could have played 6 more Tests. Of course he wants to play as long as possible. It's not as if they said to him you can have one last Test at Lords. He should have said ok I will play until my contract ends in September. I wanted him to pass Warne in wickets. Probably won't get any wickets at Lords.

Will they also say to Woakes the same thing? He is 35 and 37 then and won't be going to Australia I presume. Will they say to him we will only play you in England?

Anderson under the captains
Root (46) 170 wickets at 21.17
Cook (49) 191 wickets at 25.75

Stokes (19) 63 wickets at 26.33
Strauss (42) 168 wickets at 27.30
Hussain (3) 12 wickets at 29.33
Vaughan (21) 76 wickets at 34.46
Pietersen (3) 9 wickets at 37.88
Flintoff (4) 11 wickets at 44.72

Best under Root. Started well under Stokes but then tailed off. Started off 8 Tests at 17.85. In the last 10 Test 25 wickets at 37.20. Probably the best to finish playing under the Stokes captaincy otherwise the figures would get worse

[Durhamfootman]

I wouldn't play Woakes anywhere other than in England

All the fast bowlers are dropping like flies. At this rate they'll have to ask Anderson to come out of retirement just to complete the summer series

[Slipstream]

I wouldn't play Woakes anywhere other than in England

All the fast bowlers are dropping like flies. At this rate they'll have to ask Anderson to come out of retirement just to complete the summer series

His father died recently so he may take some time. I'm sure he will open the bowling at Trent Bridge with Robinson in the 2nd Test.

[Durhamfootman]

yes, I saw that this morning

always a difficult time

[Slipstream]

Cook 152.1 overs 29 wickets at 13.62 (now injured)
Worrall 221.2 overs 34 wickets at 16.38
Snater 214 overs 30 wickets at 23.56 - 235 runs at 33.57
Stone 132.2 overs 10 wickets at 47.00
Mahmood 46.0 overs 2 wickets at 86.50
Lawes 62.4 overs 10 wickets at 20.70
Stokes 89.1 overs 18 wickets at 29.70
Potts 206.3 overs 21 wickets at 33.90 - 329 runs at 41.12
Pennington 224.3 overs 31 wickets at 23.80
Atkinson 136.0 overs 14 wickets at 29.78
Anderson 31.0 overs 8 wickets at 8.00
Woakes 71.0 overs 1 wicket at 220.00

Robinson 212.3 overs 27 wickets at 24.33
Fisher 97.0 overs 9 wickets at 37.33

1st Test Anderson, Pennington, Atkinson, Stokes, Bashir
2nd Test Woakes/Potts Pennington, Atkinson, Stokes, Bashir